What you should know – and should not do – if you find an “abandoned” fawn or other young wild animal Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902. What you should know – and should not do – if you find an “abandoned” fawn or other young wild animal DOVER (May 17, 2012) – The fawning season for white-tailed deer in Delaware has begun, with most fawns born during the last week of May through the first week of June. With the season’s onset come the inevitable calls to DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife about “abandoned” fawns, and how “doing the right thing” means “saving” these newborns by bringing them home or to a wildlife rehabilitator. Actually, that’s the wrong thing to do, according to DNREC wildlife biologist Joe Rogerson: “There are facts about wildlife that people who remove fawns from the field may not realize,” he said. “First and foremost, the fawn hasn’t been ‘abandoned’ at all. “So even if a fawn appears to be alone, the mother is likely bedded close by.

Newborn fawns need to feed every few hours so the doe never strays far,” Rogerson said. “Fawns don’t become active enough to start traveling with their mothers until they are about two months old, so the survival instinct of a newborn fawn is to stay very still and ‘hide’ from predators.” Furthermore, research has shown that many fawns cared for by people have a greatly decreased chance of survival once they are released back into the wild, compared to deer raised by their mothers. Fawns raised in the wild are able to learn survival instincts from their mothers that people simply cannot teach them. Not only is removing a fawn from its hiding place not in the animal’s best interest, it is also illegal for an individual in Delaware to possess a live white-tailed deer. If found guilty, such an offense is punishable by a fine not less than $250, nor more than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution and court costs; the person may also be fined and faces up to 30 days in jail. In addition, any deer held illegally in captivity will be removed by the Division.

“The bottom line is, if you really care about the fawn and its well-being, please leave the animal alone. Its mother will soon return and the animal will have a far greater chance at survival than if you take it home,” Rogerson added. For more information about fawns or Delaware’s white-tailed deer, please contact Joe Rogerson, DNREC Wildlife Section, at 302-735-3600. What about other young animals? In late spring to early summer each year, volunteer wildlife rehabilitators are kept busy by well-meaning people who spot young wild animals, assume they are abandoned and pick them up. Most of the time, they are mistaken. “In almost every case, these animals should be left where they are found,” said licensed wildlife rehabilitator Dawn Webb. “While you may see a baby animal alone, what you don’t see is its mother, who is most likely nearby and waiting for you to move on.” Wild animals should never be taken from the wild unless you are certain they are injured or orphaned. This occurs mainly when their parents are killed or gravely injured; young animals may also become separated from their parents due to habitat changes or disruptions caused by human activity.

Webb cited two precautions to take with wild animals: 1.) If you handle any wild animal, wear gloves. 2.) If you find a young injured or orphaned wild animal and have questions, call a wildlife rehabilitator. She also offered some additional tips for dealing with baby wild animals: If you see a young animal alone, keep pets and children indoors and watch from a distance for a period of time to see if its mother returns. Eastern cottontail rabbits, for example, build shallow nests on the ground, bear their young, cover them and move away to avoid attracting predators, returning only to feed them. Baby birds that are not old enough to fly can be returned to their nests. Look around for the nest near where the bird was found and carefully put it back in. If you see baby birds that have left the nest, their parents will continue to feed them regularly outside the nest, and you should not interfere. Again, keep pets and children away. If you find an injured or orphaned young wild animal that must be temporarily moved, place it in a sturdy box lined with a towel, put the box in a quiet, dark place, and call a wildlife rehabilitator. Always use extreme care with injured animals.

Wild animals in pain are unpredictable and can be dangerous. They also can carry parasites or illnesses that can affect you or your pets, such as rabies. Remember that it is illegal to raise or keep any wild animal in Delaware. Only licensed wildlife rehabilitators are permitted to keep injured or orphaned wild animals – and they are trained to care for them. “The hard truth is, if you take a young animal from the wild, you are almost certainly ensuring its death,” Webb said, noting inappropriate diet and improper care are factors, in addition to the fact that wild animals cared for by humans do not learn the survival skills they must have to live in the wild. “The bottom line is, if you care, leave them there,” she added. For more information on wildlife, please call the DNREC Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912. For more information on wildlife rehabilitators in Delaware, including a current list of volunteers, visit the Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators website at . Vol. 42, No.

185 Fawn | Baby Deer, Young Deer The Scoop A Cute Baby Fawns are young deer, and they are naturally found where deer are most found - in fields and meadows in the summer, while in the winter they generally found in forests. Most fawns are born between the middle of May and the end of June. They have a reddish-brown coat with white spots - quite a lot of them in fact, around 300! A mother deer will often leave her babies alone for long periods of time, particularly in the first few days. This is because a newborn fawn has no scent and is safer motionless and alone, rather than trying to keep up with its mother. She will periodically return to feed the fawn and within a few days the fawn will be strong enough to join its mother on her never-ending quest for food. The Facts Genus: Odocoileus. There are over 60 species of deer, and so there are as many species of fawns. Location: Widely distributed. Found in most of America and Canada A new born fawn weighs around as much as a new born baby- between 4 to 8 pounds.

It is often compared to the size of a large house cat with really, really long legs! Fawns are really cute with their spindly legs, polka dots and tiny twitching tails. The mother deer or doe may nurse her fawn three to four times a day. Deer milk is very rich. Once the fawn is old enough, it eats the same food as its mother… plants, including leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi. Fawns are preyed upon by bobcats, mountain lions and coyotes. For safety, a doe will hide her fawns separately from one another. What you should know if you find an abandoned fawn or other young wild animal Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902. What you should know – and should not do – if you find an abandoned fawn or other young wild animal DOVER (June 6, 2013) – The fawning season for white-tailed deer in Delaware has begun, with most fawns born during the last week of May through the first week of June.

With the season’s onset come the inevitable calls to DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife about “abandoned” fawns, and how “doing the right thing” means “saving” these newborns by bringing them home or to a wildlife rehabilitator. Actually, that’s the wrong thing to do, according to Division of Fish and Wildlife biologist Joe Rogerson: “People who remove fawns from the field may not realize some wildlife facts,” he said. “First and foremost, the fawn hasn’t been ‘abandoned’ at all.” “So even if a fawn appears to be alone, the mother is likely bedded close by. Newborn fawns need to feed every few hours so the doe never strays far,” Rogerson said. “Fawns don’t become active enough to start traveling with their mothers until they are about two months old, so the survival instinct of a newborn fawn is to stay very still and ‘hide’ from predators.” Furthermore, research has shown that many fawns cared for by people have a greatly decreased chance of survival once they are released back into the wild, compared to deer raised by their mothers. Fawns raised in the wild are able to learn survival instincts from their mothers that people simply cannot teach them.

Not only is removing a fawn from its hiding place not in the animal’s best interest, it is also illegal for an individual in Delaware to possess a live white-tailed deer. Such an offense is punishable by a fine not less than $250, nor more than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution and court costs; the person may also be fined and faces up to 30 days in jail. In addition, any deer held illegally in captivity will be removed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Furthermore, it is a violation of both state and federal laws to remove wildlife from a neighboring state and bring the animal back to Delaware. “The bottom line is, if you really care about the fawn and its well-being, please leave the animal alone. Its mother will soon return and the animal will have a far greater chance at survival than if you take it home,” Rogerson added. “This same practice is applicable for most baby animals that people may encounter this spring.

Generally, an animal’s best chance at survival is when it is left in the wild.” For more information about fawns or Delaware’s white-tailed deer, please contact Joe Rogerson, DNREC Wildlife Section, at 302-735-3600. Vol. 43, No. 233 Care of Young Wildlife - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Care of Young Wildlife If You Care . . . Leave Them There! Young Wildlife Belong in the Wild Why It Happens The arrival of spring and summer also means the arrival of newborn and just-hatched wildlife. These young soon venture into the world on shaky legs or fragile wings. While most are learning survival from one or both parents, some normally receive little or no parental care. Often, wild animal parents stay away from their young when people are near. For all of these young animals, the perils of survival are a natural part of life in the wild. Some will not survive. However, young wildlife that learn well and are the most fit usually live the longest. Those early unsteady steps and flights are part of normal development, helping young animals learn to take care of themselves. Some quickly develop that ability, almost from birth.

For example, snowshoe hare, turtles and snakes are ready to venture into the world within hours of birth or hatching. Other animals need more parental care. For example, cottontail rabbits are born with no fur and closed eyes, unable to leave their nest on the ground surface for several weeks and continue to nurse from the mother for another week or more. Most young songbirds likewise spend about two weeks in the nest and then follow their parents about for days, begging for food and learning to fly well. So, it's not unusual to see a young robin crouched on the lawn or a young rabbit in the flower garden, both apparently motherless. Or, to find a fawn lying by itself. Often, we step in to help. This is when problems arise; when we assume that young wildlife we find alone are abandoned, helpless and need saving. In nearly all cases, this is a mistake. The Result These well-meant acts of kindness tend to have the opposite result. Most people quickly find that they do not really know how to care for young wildlife, and many of the animals that are "rescued" soon die despite their best efforts.

Even if they do survive in our care, these young wild animals have missed the natural experiences that teach them to fend for themselves. When these wild animals are released back into the wild it is difficult for them to function as they should (for example, their ability to find natural foods is impaired) and they have a reduced ability to survive. Further, they may be thrust as unwelcome intruders into the home range of another member of their species. Also, the care given to young wildlife often, unavoidably, results in some attachment to humans. On release to the wild, those animals generally have little fear of people. Some return to places where people live, only to be attacked by domestic animals or to be hit by cars. Some become nuisances getting into stored food, trash cans or dwellings. People have also been injured by once-tamed wildlife. What To Do All of these problems can be avoided by following one simple rule when coming upon young wildlife: LEAVE THEM ALONE! It may be difficult to do, but this is the real act of kindness and in nearly all cases that is the best thing to do. DO NOT consider young wildlife as possible pets. This is illegal and is bad for the animal.

Furthermore wild animals do not make good pets; they are not well suited for life in captivity and they may carry diseases that can be given to people. Resist the temptation to take them out of the wild. However, when you encounter a young wild animal that is obviously injured or orphaned, you may wish to call a Wildlife Rehabilitator for advice and help. Wildlife Rehabilitators, volunteers licensed by DEC, are the only people legally allowed to receive and treat distressed wildlife. They have the experience, expertise and facilities to successfully treat wild animals. The goal of the rehabilitator is to release a healthy animal back into the wild, where it belongs. Common questions and answers about young wildlife: Q. A very small baby bird has fallen from its nest in a tree in my backyard. I am afraid something might happen to it if I leave it there on the ground. Should I bring it into the house and feed it until it is able to fly? A. No. The best thing to do is put the bird carefully back into the nest (or the nest itself back into the tree). But, do this ONLY IF YOU CAN DO IT SAFELY. Don't worry about getting your scent on the bird.

Also, some birds that appear to have fallen from the nest are actually recently fledged and are learning to fly. They will not stay in the nest. Q. A few minutes ago, I was walking through the woods behind our house and saw several young raccoons on the ground near a large hollow tree. I wonder if they fell out of the hole way up in the tree and the mother has abandoned them because she can't put them back in their nest. Should I bring them home and care for them? A. No. Most likely, the young raccoons are merely exploring and their mother is nearby. They are probably old enough to be fully capable of climbing back up the tree to their den when they are ready to return. If they were too young to climb, the mother would carry them back. Also, you must remember that raccoons can carry rabies and can transmit it to humans, so do not attempt to handle them. Q. There is a young blue jay in my backyard and it seems to be having difficulty flying. I am afraid that either my dog or cat will get it. Should I bring it inside and feed it until it is able to fly? A. No.

As a fledgling, it had enough feathers to leave the nest. This means it is old enough to learn to fly, which it will rapidly begin to do. Leave the bird alone, but you should keep your dog or cat in the house for a few hours so it won't disturb the bird. Q. This morning I found an "abandoned" fawn near the edge of a field on my property. I brought the fawn into my house to save it, but I don't know how to care for it. What should I do? A. In most cases, the fawn probably isn't abandoned. Immediately take the fawn back to the spot where you found it and leave it there. The mother should come back again looking for the fawn. Even one to two days after removal from the wild, fawns have been successfully reunited with their mothers by returning them to the place where they were found. When you picked up the fawn, the mother was probably not far away. Usually, young fawns are quite safe when left alone for the day by their mother. Q. The cat just caught and killed a mother bird. The baby birds are now obviously orphaned. Shouldn't I take them to a wildlife rehabilitator?

A. Most songbird young are cared for by both parents. If one of the parent birds is killed, the surviving adult can successfully raise the chicks. Even if you think both parents are dead, call the rehabilitator for advice before taking any direct action with the young birds. Q. A moment ago, I accidentally kicked open a nest of baby rabbits while walking in the thick grass at the far corner of my backyard. They seemed so helpless. I waited, but saw no sign of their mother. Should I rescue them? A. They do not need to be rescued. The mother will not return as long as you remain at the nest. Just replace the top of the nest that you uncovered and leave. The mother will return and care for the young. Cottontail rabbits leave their young for many hours while eating, but return for a brief time to nurse the young. As with other young wildlife, it is best to LEAVE THEM ALONE! White Tail Deer White Tail Deer Genus: Odocoileinae What Whitetail deer look like: The whitetail deer is one of the best known and easily recognized large mammals and can be found throughout North America. The whitetail is one of five members of the deer family living in Minnesota.

The others are moose, elk, mule deer, and caribou. Deer weigh from 100 to 350 pounds. Mature males are generally larger than the females. The whitetail is a hoofed animal, with each foot ending in a cloven or two piece hoof. A deer's hoof is divided in two and spreads like two fingers to make it easier to walk in mud. Deer use their hooves to dig through snow to find nuts and acorns. The under parts of the deer's body are white with a white patch on the throat and another smaller band of white around the nose. The underside of the tail is also white. The upper body parts are colored reddish brown during the warmer months but in the fall, whitetail deer molt into their winter coats of darker, gray brown. During the spring molt their coats can look matted or splotched. Fur coats help deer survive cold weather. Hollow brown hairs trap air and act like insulation. A thick layer of underfur adds extra warmth. Snow, wind, and water cannot penetrate these hairs to the skin, so deer stay warm and dry.

The female (doe) usually weighs from 90 to 200 pounds (40 to 90 kg). Length ranges from 62 to 87 inches (160 to 220 cm), including the tail, and the shoulder height is 32 to 40 inches (80 to 100 cm). The male deer (also known as a buck) usually weighs from 130 to 300 pounds (60 to 130 kg) but, in rare cases, bucks in excess of 375 pounds (159 kg) have been recorded. In 1926, Carl J. Lenander, Jr. took a Whitetailed buck near Tofte, MN that was estimated at 511 pounds live weight. The young deer (known as fawns) have white spots on a reddish brown coat help to camouflage the fawn on the sun dappled forest floor where it spends much of it's time hiding from predators. Relation of size for a doe and young fawn. Top Whitetails in History Whitetail deer have played a very important role in the history of our country.

Deer were an item of trade between Indians and European settlers. The American Indians and early settlers depended on the Whitetail Deer for food, clothing, implements, ornaments, ceremonial items, used the bones of the whitetail deer to make harpoons, picks, and needles. The hides provided shelter year round. They utilized deer hides, hooves, and antlers. Native American's believed the moon, wind and rain affected deer movements. Current studies confirm that deer activity indeed varies depending on temperature, moon phases and even barometric pressure. The Native Dakota Tribe in southern and western Minnesota, sold the furs to traders for additional supplies. There is evidence that Indians used hides to cover themselves to avoid detection and attract deer at the same time. Deerskin was used in making clothing such as moccasins, leggings, pants, shirts, coats, shoelaces, hats, and gloves. Even today, deerskin is considered valuable for clothing. The valuable skins were called bucks, a nickname we still use for money today. Next time you say "five bucks," you will have a good laugh at yourself for actually saying "five deerskins". Lewis and Clark might never have been able to finish their journey from St.

Louis to Oregon if the hunters they took along had not furnished them with deer meat along the way. These hunters were like the hunting guides and outfitters of today. For four months, while they wintered in Oregon, they had little to eat except deer meat. Deer meat is a quite flavorful meat, known as venison, was/is very useful because it can be preserved by ï¿½jerkingï¿½ and saved for future use. Jerking means ï¿½smoking or sun-dryingï¿½. When deer meat is jerked, it is light in weight and a large supply can easily be carried. In many parts of the United States extensive clearing of land, unregulated hunting, and loss of habitat brought the whitetail deer population to a record low by the late 1800's. Changing land uses, introduced game laws, and for a time a lack of natural large predators caused the whitetail deer population to rebound dramatically (1930's to 1950's). In Minnesota the wolf & cougar population is being replenished (2000) and the coyote population has increased, other preditors include bobcat, lynx and bear.

Many scavengers rely on deer as carrion, including turkey vultures, hawks, eagles, foxes, raccoon & skunk. Whitetails are the number one game animal in the United States. Here in central Minnesota where Deer Trail is located before the logging took place the forests were mainly large fir trees which shed deep layers of pine needles, so the deer were actually scarcer back then in this area. After the logging began and smaller undergrowth began with clearings added the deer could forage on the smaller brush, and acorns that began to fall when oaks began to grow. After the young (fawns) are born each spring, there are between 900,000 and 1,000,000 deer in Minnesota. The hunting season is important to keep the deer population from getting too large. Each year, Minnesota hunters harvest between 150,000 and 200,000 deer. A family of 4 can eat very well on a couple of deer, fish from the many lakes in Minnsota, grouse, ducks & geese from the swamp lands, and the family garden.

If one learns how to can and freeze the meat and vegetables and raised a few chickens for eggs, all one would need to do is pick up some bread and milk at the gas station once a week on their way home from work. Top BEHAVIOR Whitetail deer are extremely cautious and wary animals with highly developed senses of sight, smell, and hearing. When threatened with danger, they will often attempt to quietly sneak away. If seriously frightened however, a whitetail deer will often utter a loud, snorting or blowing sound, and then quickly run away while raising the tail upwards like a flag, exposing the white underneath as a visual alarm to other deer nearby. This is even noted in fawns, and usually the deer is a doe that shows the flag. They also grunt and bleat. White-tailed deer communicate in many different ways using sounds, scent, body language, and marking. All white-tailed deer are capable of producing audible noises, unique to each animal. Fawns release a high-pitched squeal, known as a bleat, to call out to their mothers. Does also bleat. Grunting produces a low, guttural sound that will attract the attention of any other deer in the area.

Both does and bucks snort, a sound that often signals danger. As well as snorting, bucks also grunt at a pitch that gets lower with maturity. Bucks are unique in their grunt-snort-wheeze pattern that often shows aggression and hostility. Bucks are primarily solitary animals. During the early srping to July they sometimes show up on the trail together. During breeding season (fall), also called the rut, they actively seek out does for breeding. Sparring among males determines a dominance hierarchy. Bucks will attempt to copulate with as many females as possible, losing physical condition since they rarely eat or rest during the rut. There are many factors as to how intense the "rutting season" will be. Air temperature is one major factor of this intensity. Any time the temperature rises above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the males will do much less traveling looking for females, or they will be subject to overheating or dehydrating. Another factor for the strength in rutting activity is competition. If there are numerous males in a particular area, then they will compete more for the females. If there are fewer males or more females, then the selection process will not need to be as competitive.

Bucks rub their antlers against small saplings to mark their territory and also use them to fight with other bucks during the rut. After the breeding season, the antlers are shed and a new set begins to grow later in the spring. The whitetail deer has an innate sense of curiosity, which sometimes leads them straight to the hunterï¿½s gun. Does often travel together, especially during the winter months, or a doe will often be accompanied by her young from the previous season. By late spring, the young deer begin to drift away from their mothers, or the doe shoes them off. Young bucks will be chased away earlier than young does, usually late fall. Does give birth to their young in early summer. The young deer, known as fawns, are almost scentless for the first few days of their life. White spots on a reddish brown coat help to camouflage the fawn on the sun dappled forest floor where it spends much of it's time hiding from predators. The mother returns periodically to nurse the fawn until it is large enough to follow her about. When a white-tailed deer is alarmed, it may stomp its hooves and snort to warn other deer.

It may also "flag" or raise its tail and show its white underside. When a mother deer is running, this white underside can help her fawns follow her. White-tailed deer are very good runners. If you could run like a deer, you could clock at 40 miles an hour, and leap over a fence 8 feet tall. Even from a standstill, a deer could jump straight up and over a childs head. They are also good swimmers. They are also playful and last years fawns will prance and run about sometimes even in circles. When kept as pets they will rear up and playfully tap their keeper with their hooves, this can be very painful & dangerous! Top HABITAT AND DIET Whitetail deer occupy a variety of habitats from forests to fields and swamps. They are most common where a variety of habitats are found, providing them with all their seasonal needs. In spring the enjoy tender buds, young leaves and grasses. In the summer they enjoy leaves, brush and a wide variety of plants. Towards fall they seek out hardier foods to get ready for winter, such as acorns and hazel nuts. In winter they eat mainly younger twigs and branches and bark from trees.

During winter, the whitetail deer gather together in herds. Their combined trampling keeps the snow packed down within an enclosed area and thus enables them to search for food. Such areas are known as ï¿½yardsï¿½. Deer are herbivores, cud-chewing plant eaters, but have been known to feed on nestling songbirds, as well as field mice. Whitetails feed on a large variety of plant materials such as tender young buds, grasses, clover, leaves, tree twigs, stems, brush, shrubs, shoots, legumes, acorns, hazel nuts, and wild fruits such as apples, grapes and berries. Deer will feed on man's agricultural crops, such as corn, soybeans, hay, alfalfa, green beans, peas and other garden vegatbles. Deer often cause considerable damage to fruit trees. Deer also enjoy munching on flowers, ours tend to enojoy Hollyhocks and Geraniums. To prevent stem damage on fruit trees hang quartered "Irish Spring" hand soap with a paper clip to the lower branches.

Their special stomach allows them to eat some things that humans cannot, such as mushrooms that are poisonous to humans and Red Sumac. Deer are attracted to salt & minneral blocks, they also get minnerals from decaying wood and minneral enriched pits. The white-tailed deer is a ruminant, which means it has a four-chambered stomach similar to that of cattle. Each chamber has a different and specific function that allows the deer to quickly eat a variety of different food, digesting it at a later time in a safe area of cover. The Whitetail stomach hosts a complex set of bacteria that change as the deer's diet changes through the seasons. If the bacteria necessary for digestion of a particular food are absent it will not be digested. Depending on the type and abundance of food, the deer can fill its stomach in about one or two hours. When a deer eats, food is chewed just enough to swallow. Then passes down the esophagus into the stomach. The food then goes into the first chamber which acts as a fermentation vat. Most of the digestion occurs in this area of the stomach.

Deer depend on billions of microorganisms that live in its stomach to break down the fibers, cellulose,and other basic plant components, and convert them into materials that can be used by the deer's digestive system. Over 40 percent of a deer's energy is derived from the acids absorbed through the walls of its first stomach. After the deer has filled its first stomach, it will lie down in a secluded place to chew its cud, just as cattle do. After chewing its cud for awhile, the deer re-swallows the food, which then passes to the second portion of the stomach. The food material then passes on to the third and forth stomach sections for more digestion and absorbtion. The food material then goes through the intestines and everything that isn't digested is passed off as waste droppings. Top REPRODUCTION Mating usually occurs in autumn. At this time the bucks engage in fierce battles to obtain the favor of the does, or to protect their harems from other bucks. Does are pursued mightily by bucks for a couple of weeks. Then finally stand for bucks during a 24-hour estrus cycle.

Most does become pregnant the first time around, but those that don't recycle into estrus about 28 days later. Females enter heat/estrus, commonly called the rut, triggered mainly by declining photoperiod, the daily cycle of light and darkness. Sexual maturation of females depends on population density as well as availability of food. Does generally mature at 1ï¿½2 years of age. Most are not able to reproduce until six months after they mature. The young are born the following spring/June, about six months after mating/aprox. 200 days. A few days before fawning, a pregnant doe separates from other does and seeks a suitable birthing area. Does like to drop fawns in thick cover and close to water. Studies have shown that a doe has some control over when she gives birth. This might allow her to select a thick, safe area free of predators. A doe gives birth to one or two and occasionally three young, known as fawns, weighing 6 to 8 pounds at birth. The fawns have reddish-brown coats with white spots, that help to camouflage them. Multiple fawns are born 15 to 20 minutes apart.

On average, does lose 10% to 15% of their fawns due to birth problems or defects, disease, parasites or predation. A doe nurses her fawns frequently during the early days. Fawns can walk at birth and forage for food a couple of days later. They are usually weaned at about six weeks. We have seen fawns nurse as late as november. The fawns are generally carefully guarded by their mother until they are old enough to care for themselves. The mother will leave her fawns well-hidden for hours at a time while she feeds. If she has more than one fawn, she hides them in separate places. The early days and weeks are perilous for fawns. They survive best in areas with lots of cover. Fawns rely heavily on their natural camouflage, while they are waiting for their mother to return. The white spots scattered across their reddish-brown bodies blend well with fallen leaves and brush. When a fawn beds down, he tucks his legs, head and neck into its body for ultimate concealment, or the fawns lay on the ground with their heads and necks stretched out flat on the ground. This makes it harder for predators to find them.

A fawn in distress bawls loudly. To distract a predator and lure it away from her offspring, a doe runs in wildly, shows herself and runs off in the opposite direction. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Fawns spend their early days clinging to their mothers, bonding and learning about the big new world. Sometimes does and their offspring gather in small groups. Within these groups fawns learn to walk, run and react in the face of danger. Fawns are playful and get exercise by nudging, jumping and boxing one another with their legs and feet. Click refresh for simulation of fawns nursing. Fawns lose their spots during the first summer and will weigh from 44 to 77 pounds (20 to 35 kg) by the first winter. Male fawns tend to be slightly larger and heavier than females. Female fawns may stay with their mother for two years, males many times are chased away sooner to avoid inbreeding but generally leave after a year. About the time a fawn is weaned it loses its spotted coat. It then sports grayish hair that mixes well with the deciduous forest. In winter, a fawn's coat is gray with reddish-brown tips.

A male fawn's face grows darker while his belly remains white. Does travel in small groups consisting of mature females and their offspring. They prefer to live within familiar and relatively small areas all their lives. Doe groups generally occupy the same home ranges from one generation to the next. A group's "lead doe" tends to breed with a buck first each fall. A dominant doe fawns first and picks the most favorable fawn-rearing area. When the home ranges of doe groups overlap, conflicts or little "turf wars" sometimes occur. Upon the first sign of trouble from another doe, a lead doe will raise her head in alertness. If the other female comes closer, the alert doe might rush her and kick out with her front legs. A wild boxing match continues until one doe gains dominance over the other. Top AGE OF DEER The only way to truly tell the age of a deer, is to examine the teeth. Deer are born with four teeth on their lower jaw. These four front teeth are called incisors. After a few weeks, sixteen more teeth grow in, giving it eight front incisors, six premolars on the bottom jaw, and six premolars on the upper jaw.

When the deer is one year old, six more molars erupt on both the upper and lower jaws. This gives the deer a full set of 32 teeth. The darker material in the tooth is called the dentine. As the hard enamel is worn away, more dentine is visible.The amount of visible dentine is an important factor in determining the age. The tooth wear and replacement method is not 100% accurate however, due to the differences in habitat. Tooth wear on a farmland deer may not be as fast as that of a deep woods buck. The most accurate way to tell a deer's age is by removing a tooth, cutting a cross section of it, and counting the rings under a microscope, (much like aging a tree). Each winter, when a deer's blood-serum protein and phosphate levels are low, a layer of cementum is formed on the tooth. Therefore the tooth has one layer for each winter the deer has lived through. Six Months: The nose or muzzle of the deer appears short or stubby, when compared to older deer. The central two incisors may still be erupting. Incisors may appear twisted as they emerge through the gum. Generally, there are only four cheek teeth showing.

The third premolar has three cusps. The black lines on the teeth below indicates where the gum line was. 1-1/2; Years: All permanent front teeth are in. Six cheek teeth are visible in the lower jaw. The third premolar may still have three cusps, or the permanent third premolar may now be in (two cusps). Third molar may still be erupting through the gum. Lingual crest of molars have sharp points. Inset: Extremely worn third premolar may fool people into thinking deer is older. Actually, this tooth is lost after 1-1/2; years and replaced with a permanent two-cusped premolar. 2-1/2; Years: All permanent premolars and molars are in place. Look closely at the fourth cheek tooth (first molar). The cusps are sharp and show little or no wear. Enamel (white portion) of the lingual crest shows well above the dentine (brown portion). The enamel portion of the cusp is wider than the dentine. Some wear on third cusp of sixth cheek tooth (third molar).

3-1/2; Years: Lingual crests of cheek teeth show some wear and cusps are starting to become blunt. Dentine now thicker than enamel on cusp of fourth cheek tooth (first molar). Dentine of fifth cheek tooth (second molar) usually not as wide as enamel. Last cusp of sixth cheek tooth is flattened. 4-1/2; Years: Lingual crest of fourth cheek tooth (first molar) is gone. Crest of cusps on fifth and sixth cheek teeth (second and third molar) are blunt. Dentine of fourth cheek tooth now twice as wide as enamel. Dentine of fifth cheek tooth wider than enamel. 5-1/2; Years and older: In most hunted deer populations, less than two percent of the animals are more than five years of age. Accurately aging these deer by tooth wear is usually more of a guessing game than a science.

In general, deer close to 5-1/2; years of age will show considerable wear on the premolars, and the first cusp of the fourth cheek tooth (first molar) will be dished out or show signs of "cupping." Another indication of age is the length of the snout and the color of the coat, with older deer tending to have longer snouts and grayer coats. See below for the approximate age of buck by determination by antlers. Don't Be A Fawn Kidnapper | The Wildlife Center of Virginia The Wildlife Center of Virginia Don't Be A Fawn Kidnapper DON’T BE A FAWN KIDNAPPER! Wildlife Center of Virginia Offers Advice for Caring for Deer Fawns Each spring, the Wildlife Center of Virginia, an internationally acclaimed teaching and research hospital for wildlife located in Waynesboro, receives hundreds of telephone inquiries from concerned individuals from across Virginia who have found a White-tailed Deer fawn. In most cases, these fawns are in fine shape and need no human intervention. In Virginia, White-tailed Deer fawns are born from April through July, with the majority of births in June.

From birth the fawns are left alone for much of the day while their mothers go off to feed. This reduces the likelihood that the mother will attract a predator to the fawn. Mothers generally return only at dusk and dawn to move and feed fawns. A healthy fawn found during the day most likely has not been abandoned and does not need to be “rescued”. “Don’t be a fawn kidnapper,” Ed Clark, President of the Wildlife Center, said. “In most cases, a fawn found alone has not been abandoned and is not helpless – it’s a young animal still receiving care from its mother. Despite our well-meaning intentions, the best chance for survival of a fawn is to leave it in its mother’s care.” The Wildlife Center encourages individuals who care about wildlife to ask questions first about the most appropriate course of action: Is the fawn injured [bleeding, broken bones, wounds, caught on a fence, hit by a car, etc.]: If NO, leave the uninjured fawn where it is.

[If a fawn is found in a ditch next to a road, it may be moved a short distance to a safer location.] Never expect to see the mother come back to the fawn while you are in the area. Check back on the fawn in 24 to 48 hours. The mother should have moved the fawn. If YES – if the fawn is clearly injured, or if the mother is known to be dead [i.e., hit by a car] – contact the Wildlife Center [540.942.9453] or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for help [additional contact information may be found in the “rescue advice” section of the Center’s website at Do not attempt to feed the fawn or give it fluids, especially cow’s milk, unless instructed to do so by a qualified individual. Orphaned fawns will need to be cared for until they are old enough to be released in early fall. Raising a wild animal in captivity, including a deer fawn, is illegal in Virginia for individuals who do not hold appropriate state permits. The Wildlife Center was founded as an emergency room and hospital for wildlife in 1982.

The Wildlife Center has cared for more than 52,000 animals, representing more than 200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians from every corner of Virginia. A primary goal of the Center is to “treat to release” – to restore patients to health and return as many as possible to the wild. The Center provides state-of-the-art medical care for the sick and injured, and sustained, quality foster care so that animals may be returned to the wild with the ability to survive, and thrive, in their native habitats. The Center works with a network of wildlife rehabilitators – volunteers holding a permit issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia to treat injured and orphaned wildlife. Center staff provides training classes across Virginia in wildlife rehabilitation, hosts an annual wildlife rehabilitation conference, and maintains up-to-date contact information for wildlife rehabilitators, including some rehabilitators with expertise in and facilities designed for specific species. The Center trains veterinary and conservation professionals from all over the world and is actively involved in comprehensive wildlife health studies and the surveillance of emerging diseases. Deer Habitat | How Do Deer Families Live? How Do Deer Families Live? Who White tailed deer are polygamous animals, which means they have more than one mate in their lives.

Males will even have more than one mate within a single mating period. A female deer is generally alone through most of the year, except when accompanied by her fawns. On the other hand, males will stay with other males for most of the year and will only become solitary during mating season to avoid competition. Male deer are called bucks, female deer are called does, and baby deer are called fawns. The male deer has antlers that come out of bone plates in his head. When the antlers begin to grow, they have a thin layer of felt covering them. Males will scratch their antlers against trees to get rid of the felt. What Is Their Life Cycle? Mating season for the white tailed deer takes place between January and February. About seven months after mating, a doe will give birth to one to three fawns. The buck does not stay to help raise the fawns—the doe raises them alone. The fawns are able to walk at birth but will stay by their mother for one to two years; females will often stay with their mother longer than males. Although the young fawns can nibble on some greenery when they are born, their stomachs are not fully developed to properly digest the food.

The fawns will have to survive eight weeks on their mother’s milk. After that time, the mother will bring the fawns along while she hunts for food. The doe will hide each fawn in a different location to avoid all of her babies being taken by a predator. Soon, the fawns will start to graze with their mother for the next year. After that time, males will start to separate from their family to gain their own territories. This usually entails a trip of about six miles to establish a new home range. Once a male is fully grown, he will start to develop antlers during the mating season, known as a rut. During the rut, the males within the same range will fight for mating privileges. Deer generally live to be about 10 years in the wild, but they can survive up to 20 years in captivity. Born to Be Wild | Wildlife | New Hampshire Fish and Game Department New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Guardian of the state's fish, wildlife, and marine resources. Volunteer Opportunities Born to Be Wild If you see a fawn, or any young wildlife, and suspect it has been abandoned, DON'T pick it up. Its best chance for survival is probably in the wild.

by Dan Bergeron, NH Fish and Game Deer Project Leader May and June are the time of year when deer fawns are born in New Hampshire. Each year, people in the state are lucky enough to view and photograph these beautiful young animals…and that is where these fortunate encounters should end. Center for Wildlife, Madison, NH People often see young fawns alone that seem weak and motionless, and fear the worst. Has the mother died? Has she abandoned her fawn? In most cases, the doe is not far off, waiting to return to feed her newborn fawn. Not Abandoned Seeing a fawn (or a moose calf) alone does NOT mean it has been abandoned. It is normal for a doe to leave her fawn alone for several hours at a time while she is off feeding. She may not return until nightfall to nurse her fawn. This actually helps keep the fawn safe from predators. Fawns (only 4-10 lbs. at birth) are born with little scent and a spotted camouflage coat. They are not very mobile, though. They will bed down in high grass or thick vegetation and remain motionless, trying to avoid detection from predators.

The doe, on the other hand, can be easily detected by predators due to her scent and large size, so she spends time away from her fawns to help keep them hidden. Does may only visit their fawns 3-4 times a day to quickly nurse before leaving again for hours, although usually not straying too far. Fawns mature quickly and are not helpless for long. After about a month, they can elude most predators. By 2-3 months, they are weaned and rely on vegetation, not milk, for food. Contact Fish and Game Remember -- the best chance a young wild animal has to survive is in its natural environment under the care of its mother. If you see a fawn (or any other young wildlife) and suspect it has been abandoned or orphaned contact NH Fish and Game by emailing wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov or calling (603) 271-2461 and make a report. Fish and Game staff can assess the situation and help determine the best course of action. Leave Young Wildlife Alone Do not repeatedly visit the fawn. If the doe is close by, she probably will not return until people have left the area and she feels safe.

Keep your distance and give the doe time to return and move her fawn to a new location. Never attempt to feed fawns. Improper foods like cow’s milk lead to severe diarrhea (scours), and often result in the fawn’s death. Moose calves should also be left alone. Cow moose (and other wildlife) will aggressively defend their young if they feel threatened. Never take in wildlife. Only qualified people with special rehabilitator permits, issued through NH Fish and Game, may take in and care for injured or orphaned wildlife. Improper care of injured or orphaned wildlife often leads to their sickness or death. Unless you have rehabilitator credentials, it is illegal to have in your possession or take New Hampshire wildlife from the wild and keep it in captivity. For a full list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators, go to wildnh.com/wildlife/rehabilitators.html .

Question: The young of what animal are known as fawns?
Answer: Deer